Office Staff
Jennifer Spencer
Contact JenniferJennifer Spencer is the Assistant Director of SCORE. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Elementary Education, both from Auburn University. Jennifer has 20 years of teaching experience in public and private schools in Alabama where she also coached after-school robotics clubs. After leading one of the first SCORE-sponsored teams to the state championship in 2018, she joined our team to help build robotics in schools throughout the southeast. She is the self-proclaimed mom of the group and loves her family and all Auburn sports.
Mary Lou Ewald
Contact Mary LouMary Lou has been Director of Outreach for the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) since May 2000. Prior to this position, she worked with the Alabama Science in Motion program as the Associate Project Director and physics field specialist. She received a B.S. in Applied Physics and an M.S. in Zoology, both from Auburn University. Mary Lou has served as the Hub Director for Alabama BEST for 16 years, and the South’s BEST Regional Championship for 14 years. She also served on the Board of Directors for the national BEST (Boosting Engineering, science and Technology) Robotics, Inc. program for six years and was the chair of the BEST national awards and judging committee for eight years. She was conference chair of the two national BEST conferences hosted at Auburn University in 2009 and 2011, and was named the BEST national volunteer of the year in 2010. In 2010, Mary Lou was selected as one of 25 STEM educators nationwide to draft standards and criteria for using robotics-based curricula to teach science, a National Science Foundation funded initiative of the Technology Student Association, based in Washington, DC. She is passionate about robotics education as a mechanism to excite kids and inspire them to consider a future career in a STEM field.
Matthew Buckley
Contact MatthewMatthew Buckley is the Program Administrator of SCORE. He earned his Bachelor's degree in English from Towson University, and a Master's degree in Secondary Education from The Catholic University of America. He has 16 years of teaching experience in English, Photography, and STEM. In 2014, he began working in Educational Technology and began the CITE lab Makerspace (Creativity, Innovation, Technology, Education) at his former school. He's a Raspberry Pi Certified Educator, and enjoys coding, digital making, and woodworking.
Kristi Ramey
Contact KristiKristi Ramey is a Program Administrator at SCORE. She holds a Master's in Education and brings 25 years of teaching experience, specializing in math and science for 11 of those years and STEM education for 4 years. Driven by her passion for robotics education and student innovation, she coached VEX IQ robotics teams to State and World Championships every year during her 4-year tenure. She was recognized as VEX Mentor of the Year for the state of Alabama at the 2023 State Tournament. Outside of work, Kristi enjoys spending time with family, gardening, and cultivating her succulent collection.
Student Employees
Khaled Zuaiter
Khaled Zuaiter is a graduate assistant at SCORE. Khaled is at Auburn University studying Aerospace Engineering. He is currently the treasure and a former captain for Auburn's Vex U Robotics team, and he also likes to mess around with drones.
Jennifer Min
Jennifer Min is a senior currently studying Sociology at Auburn University. She loves interacting with children and also working at VEX tournaments during the season. Jennifer was also a peer instructor at the university helping bridge the students and professors together in a class. Outside of school she likes to craft and look for hidden gems around the city of Auburn.
Joshua Medler
Joshua Medler is currently a senior at Auburn University studying Mechanical Engineering. He is currently a team captain of the Auburn Robotics VEX U team and builds robots in his free time.
Diane Pham
Diane Pham is a senior studying Industrial Engineering at Auburn University and is the President of the Auburn Robotics Club. She loves helping out at events and meeting new people. Outside of robotics, she enjoys writing, drawing, and ducks.
John Nguyen
John is a junior at Auburn University studying Software Engineering and a member of the Auburn Robotics Club. He enjoys exploring the creative side of technology by experimenting with programs and designing various graphics in his free time.
Nicholas Glennon
Nicholas is currently a sophomore at Auburn University studying Electrical Engineering. He enjoys 3D Printing, flying drones, amateur radio, and making things with microcontrollers and open-source hardware.
Parker Sumner
Parker Sumner is currently a junior at Auburn University studying mechanical engineering. He is a member of the Auburn Robotics Club and likes to create and test prototypes of robots for the purpose of innovation
Luke Hastings
Luke is currently a sophomore at Auburn University, studying Industrial Design. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities such as mountain biking, longboarding, and playing pickleball.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Allen Landers
Dr. Allen L. Landers holds the Howard Earl and Carolyn Taylor Carr Professorship in the Department of Physics at Auburn University. He is an active researcher and has been featured in the Journal of Physics, Physical Review, Science, and Nature. Dr. Landers teaches at all levels in the Physics Department, ranging from introductory science classes to advanced graduate courses. In addition, he works with interdisciplinary teams of Auburn faculty and staff to pursue science outreach, principally developing new opportunities for K-12 students to experience the scientific process. Dr. Landers has been awarded the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching and the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Outreach in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, and was recognized with the Auburn University Award for Excellence in Outreach.
Dr. Thad Roppel
Dr. Roppel joined the faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Auburn University in 1986. He has conducted research in the fields of sensor fabrication, sensor fusion, neural networks, search and rescue robotics, and mobile robot design for applications in retail spaces and schools. His work has been supported by NASA, the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Army Research Office, and various corporate and foundation sponsors. He has supervised and graduated more than 40 students at the Masters and PhD level, and has earned multiple awards for undergraduate teaching and mentoring in the College of Engineering. He is a member of the IEEE and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). He is the faculty advisor for the SPaRC, the Student Projects and Research Committee, a student-run organization that functions as Auburn University’s Makerspace and he has a passion for using robots for engineering outreach in local communities.